In case you missed the last two days’ reports, my good friend Patrick Luddite, who I see every six months when I am out West, has been kind enough to agree to file reports from San Francisco’s Noise Pop Festival, taking place right this second. It’s long been one of America’s best music festivals (I prefer it, actually, to SXSW, because it’s much more about the bands and fans, and much, much less a music industry confab).
If you missed the last two days’ report, with reviews of original lineup Sebadoh, The New Trust, Love of Diagrams, and The Bent Mustache from the first night and Roky Erickson & the Explosions, Oranger, Howlin’ Rain, and Wooden Shjips on the second, don’t worry, you can still read them by clicking my name in dark red just above.
Here is his report on night three, another blow by blow description of everything he saw/heard/sensed. He still has one more coming! So check here daily! Tomorrow he/we will present night number four! Cheers! And my thanks again to Patrick.
Jack Rabid
Noise Pop 2007, San Francisco, Night #2
By Patrick Luddite
It’s Friday evening of the Noise Pop festival and that means back to the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. This storied club has a rich history that I’ve touched on in the first two entries and I’ll close it out here, as this is my final night at this venue of this Noisepop Festival. From the 1950’s through the early 70’s the club had a somewhat checkered history. After Blanco’s (jazz club) went south, the building was taken over by the MOOSE LODGE who ushered in an even greater period of decline to the extent that the hall was slated for demolition! At the last minute a reprieve was granted, and with a bit of dusting and cleaning the doors opened on Charles, a French restaurant named after the proprietor, Robert Charles. Flash forward to 1972 and the space opens again this time at The Great American Music Hall and music once more (and since) fills the air.
The music filling the air this evening is courtesy of PONY COME LATELY, SO MANY DYNAMOS, and GEORGIE JAMES with the night closed out by TED LEO AND THE PHARMISCISTS. I’m here to see Leo but I bring an open mind about the other three, of course. I know next to nothing about the first three bands I confess. One is local, another is from Missouri, and the third contains an ex-member of Q AND NOT U (I’d guess they are from D.C.). Leo? Well his reputation precedes him. A former member of the much-loved CHISEL and CITIZENS ARREST, Leo now plies his trade with his Pharmacists. I managed to catch him once about six years ago at the CMJ Music Marathon, when he played a daytime solo set in the conference. I happened to be working there playing videos in between the acoustic sets, and was fortunate enough to bear witness (hadn’t even heard of him at that point). His is the only set I remember, and I recall thinking at the time “Why isn’t this guy huge? He’s got loads of energy and passion and an engaging stage presence. WTF…!!?!?”
As I enter the hall I’m happy to note that once again there are already a good number of people here. Maybe it’s because it’s a Friday show, or possibly the first band has lots of friends. In any event there are about 40 kids (yes, 18 and under) sitting cross-legged in front of the stage with another 60-70 people (still young but not that young) milling about. It’s a much different demographic this evening – wonder how the beer sales will be?
8:03 and it’s band time again. This festival is timely if nothing else! Pony Come Lately are a quartet from Oakland and contain members of such past luminaries as THE PATTERN, RICHMOND SLUTS, and BLACKCAT MUSIC. Guitar, bass, vox keyboard and drums—seems a near-standard allotment at this event. The press bits mention “a new take on British Goth-wave acts,” but I don’t hear that in their opening number, which strikes me as more mid-tempo indie rock. It’s not bad, really. The singer has good voice and he isn’t being obvious about trying to sound like someone else (which in this day and age, my friends, is a big plus) and the band is tight. The bass and drums are really driving the song with the guitar riding on top (no power chords here, folks) with the keyboard at the periphery. There’s nothing revelatory here, but it works. On the third song our first bar chord breaks out for a moment, but then the guitar begins to soar and shimmer and for a second I’m thinking THE CHAMELEONS. At least they’re British, but hardly Goth-wave. The next song is a bit more upbeat and things seems to be clicking for the East Bay lads. My attention is drawn away briefly as Leo passes, and while I look on, I see a short girl notice the same thing, but she takes the initiative and runs over to him (clearly giddy). A few words are exchanged and then her arms are around him. He seems to take this quite well (maybe not an uncommon occurrence?) and walks on after a moment. OK, I wouldn’t have hugged him, but I would’ve gotten a word in, and I missed my chance as he’s gone. As the band plays on I do start to hear some post-punk elements, and OK, maybe some goth-wave (whatever that is), if only post-punk included a hockey-arena organ (yes, that’s what it reminds me of at times). Yeah, this is good and the band is on the verge of waking this place up. Why is no one dancing? Dance you little buggers!! I feel as if I’m at a junior high sock hop with the kids too scared to dance with each other. The next song is a bit lame IMO, but what happens!?!? The kids start to dance!!! The last song, while a step up, is not quite up to the middle three but that’s fine. Pony Come Lately have availed themselves quite well and for landing a slot at Noise Pop after being together less than a year, they’re doing fine. More importantly, the kids here tonight to see them feel the same way, and I’m sure the band wouldn’t complain with that.
It’s 8:30 and that means I’ve got about 20 minutes to kill before the next set. I will say that I’m impressed with the way things are running at Noise Pop. Start/stop times are being adhered to (for the most part) and equipment changes are flying by without a hitch. Well behaved enthusiastic crowds are out to have a good time. Well done KEVIN ARNOLD (Noise Pop founder).
The next band is setting up as I plant myself on the floor to ease what is becoming a nasty backache on this third straight night in the Hall. I see a keyboard rack with a Moog on the bottom and something non-descript above it. A tall lanky guy walks out with a guitar and a trombone! A trombone!!! The band geek wants to get laid… so he turns from marching band to rock band? The more things change the more they stay the same. OK, there’s another guitarist, but no bass in sight. Uh-oh. Some form of spazz rock with noodly/zippy sounds seems likely when they actually start to play!!
So Many Dynamos hit the first note at 8:54, and boy do I wish the last followed straight away. Yelping vocals are the rule with guitars ripping away, and all the while the drummer holds it fast and steady. The next song begins and I hear a BRAINIAC (R.I.P. TIM TAYLOR) influence and I’m instantly excited. Just as quickly the singer opens his mouth and I hear vague-to-not-so-vague BILLY JOE ARMTRONG vocals. As the third song ends I’ve already forgotten it. Sorry, this is just not working for me. The crowd is offering polite and somewhat tepid applause, so it would seem that I am not alone. Sure, they are paying attention, but what else can you do? You came for Ted Leo and you don’t wanna lose your spot by the stage. The next offering sounds not unlike LCD SOUNDSYTEM, but while this frontman is trying to work the dorky white dude schtick, he’s no JAMES MURPHY. This is the first show of a two-month U.S. tour we are told. Good luck gents. Guitar problems lead to a far too long lull in the action, and the fully functional bandmates offer their troubled guitarist no help in terms of managing the crowd. Silence. Come on guys, tell jokes; do a question and answer session like SHELLAC often does. The eighth song is prefaced with ‘this is our last song.’ Thank God. It is now 9:23.
Next up is Georgia James, and they get things going just before 10:00. A four-piece with guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums, this lot are a far cry from the dancey post-punk of drummer JOHN DAVIS’s former band Q And Not U. Davis switches to guitar this time out and the band deliver power-pop style harmonies and an overall (indie) rock sound (but who the hell is Georgia James?). From the start I am enjoying it, I’m pleased to say. Keyboard player LAURA BURHENN shares the vocals duties with Davis, and in the first number they sing together. The second song is in a similar style/manner, but manages to avoid sounding redundant. Compared with the earlier bands, this bunch have a more professional air about them. The playing is tight and the set flows really well, and it’s obvious they are comfortable on stage. As their part of the night goes on, I sense they are winning over the crowd as evidenced by less small talk during their playing and ever-increasing volume of applause as the songs end. The only song title I catch is “Need Your Needs,” which so happens is their first single out now on Laboratory Records. And a good choice for a debut release it is. Next, Burhenn steps away from the keyboard to front the band on a Two-Tone inspired track that gets the crowd moving. The only negative comment I have to offer is that the songwriting seems to suffer a bit on the slower numbers. They are not bad but not up to the quicker paced songs. After 11 songs, Georgia James says good night at 10:35. A fine set.
Thankfully I am able to kill the time betweens sets quite nicely, as I bump into a friend who drums for local heros GIANT HAYSTACKS (not alt-country, really). He lets me know that I am in for a treat tonight, as he assures me Leo is dynamite. Everyone seems to say the same thing!
10:55 rolls around and the lights dim as the applause and screams rise. Fred Perry clad/es-335 toting Leo leads the band through a roaring opening number before launching into “The Sons of Cain” from the coming Touch & Go release, Living with The Living. The trio of Leo, bassist DAVE LERNER (looking like a cross between BRIAN MAY and MARC BOLAN with that hair of his), and drummer CHRIS WILSON is joined by former member JAMES CANTY (ex-NATION OF ULYSESS, MAKE UP, etc.) and the energy level off all four is through the roof. OK, I have a small problem with Leo’s seemingly exaggerated style of playing/singing/facial expressions. It all seems so over the top to me. There looks to be an effort to make everything obvious as when the word palpitations is sung and Leo beats his chest (heart palpitations—I get it!). But as I sit back and let it sink in it also seems so in context to what I am witnessing. An incredibly tight band with impassioned vocals, relentless energy, and constant excitement all thrown together; it’s a wonder this guy doesn’t explode! On “Crying over you” I hear elements of THE CLASH and various Two-Tone bands. Stunning. “Me and Mia” begins and ends, and my jaw is on the floor. Sure, you can hear the obvious influences throughout the set: the abovementioned, and even BILLY BRAGG. But Ted Leo & the Pharmacists are not offering mimicry as they bring enough of themselves to it and end up sounding fresh. It’s 12:06 as they finish their 17th song and they leave the stage to the roaring adulation of the packed house. Thankfully Leo is back quickly and full of thanks for the reception. He explains that he has recently had the Noro Virus and is dead-tired, and this seems to come off as an apology. None needed Ted (and band). He plays the first song of the encore by himself and is joined by the Pharmacists for the final three. A female fan gains the stage to dance during the second-to-last song and Leo implores the bouncers to go easy in singing “It’s totally cool, its totally cool” rather than the actual song lyrics. Hopefully she wasn’t chucked out, as it would’ve been a shame to miss the final song, which, as it happened, was a cover of a CHUMBAWAMBA track (the title of which I am at a loss to recall). “I never gave up, I never gave up, I crawled in the mud and I never gave up” went the lyric. [It’s “I Never Gave Up” from their 1990 single—JR] I don’t see Ted Leo ever giving up either. Simply amazing. He’ back in a month and I will be there.
Night number four is to be capped by Chicago’s PONY’S at Bottom of The Hill in SF’s Potrero Hill neighborhood. Always stellar live, I’m really looking forward to that one. ‘Til next time…
